Seven pull nomination papers to be mayor of New Bedford

The list of people who have pulled nomination papers to become New Bedford’s next mayor has grown to seven. Current mayor Jon Mitchell hasn’t pulled nomination papers yet, but he’s known to not make his decision public until late summer.

Richard Tyson Moultrie, Michael Medeiros, Jose Perez, David Pimentel, John Oliveira, and Iean Morgan pulled papers for mayor. Veteran candidate Michael Janson pulled papers for mayor and councilor-at-large. Janson typically gets enough signatures to run in either election but he has told me in the past that he waits for the final cut-off day to see if former mayor Scott Lang runs before deciding which race to enter. If Lang runs for mayor, then he will too.

The list of people pulling nomination papers is expected to grow as residents have until Aug. 16 pull and return nomination papers for the Oct. 1 primary election. At least three qualified candidates are needed to have a primary election.

Most people in New Bedford who pull nomination papers for elected office never turn them in, but the stakes are higher this year in the mayoral race. By a 6,904 to 6,127 vote, voters in 2017 voted to extend the term of the New Bedford mayor’s office from two years to four.